A Walk Around the Neighbourhood — Stone Street (Part Three)

It’s a beautiful day today! We’ve just gotten back from sailing on the river, but we’re not quite ready to go inside yet. The weather is lovely and it would be just perfect to end the day with a walk around the neighbourhood — especially when we can take the scenic route.

Starting off heading north on Stone Street, there’s no hurry. The sidewalks in the neighbourhood are shady and lined with trees, and it’s easy to just relax and let ourselves explore. The familiar sight of the Gananoque Inn and Spa passes us by on the left, across the street, it’s festive banners fluttering in the slight breeze. The Stonewater Manor Gastro Pub is next, filled with happy patrons chatting by the window.

The architecture around here is amazing. Most of the houses have roots in the Victorian era, with picturesquely perfect detailing and the unique charm of carefully crafted buildings. We can see them out of the north-view windows of Stone & South, but it’s nice to admire them up close once and a while too. Seaway Manor and Turtle Island are on our right — just two of the many bed and breakfasts nearby.

As we draw closer to Main Street, the historic buildings become more formal. The Chamber of Commerce stately stands at the corner of Sydenham Street. St. John’s Catholic Church and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church — both historic landmarks — are kitty corner to each other as we walk, and we can see the spire of Grace United a couple of blocks ahead.

But for now, we cross the street to the clock tower, to read the plaque on the monument. The roots of Gananoque are so well documented, and the history you can find scattered around the town is absolutely fascinating. 110 Stone Street used to be Gananoque’s Post Office, in 1889. There’s no plaque on its doors, but we remember a few of the details from the walking tour we took a couple of weeks ago. After that, we pass Gananoque’s first jail — now a suite in the Trinity House Inn — before we get distracted.

Right before Main Street, is Banana Splitz. And suddenly life just doesn’t seem complete without a delicious scoop of ice cream — so we get a cone and take it back to the bench beneath the clock tower, content to just enjoy the sun, the river breeze, and the history around us.